It’s been a tense few days in the Park City area, after the Parleys Canyon Fire swept up the canyon Saturday to within a mile of Summit Park. And with evacuation orders in the residential areas nearest the blaze extended into midweek due to concerning weather, it seemed that a few more days of anxious waiting were likely to follow.
We join the rest of the Park City community in fervently hoping fire crews can gain control of the blaze and that the thousands of displaced residents in Summit Park, Timberline and Pinebrook can return to their homes sooner rather than later. We also wish to express immense gratitude to the hundreds of firefighters who are battling the blaze and, in some cases, potentially putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the neighborhoods.
Their efforts, starting with Saturday as the fire grew rapidly and threatened to crest the ridgeline separating it from Summit Park, have been nothing short of heroic.
The Park City community itself also deserves credit for stepping up, as it so often does in times of need. Within minutes of authorities announcing the evacuation orders Saturday, Facebook was filled with posts from Parkites offering to house those displaced by the fire, pets included, while several businesses provided food or other services to evacuees and fire responders.
It was the same spirit of service that was on display last year during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, and the kind of thing that should make us all proud to be Parkites. We have our squabbles, like anyplace else, but when it matters most we know how to come together as one community.
In a best-case scenario, the need for the generosity will be short-lived. While fire crews on Tuesday were concerned about the possibility of high winds accelerating the blaze, there was also optimism that the evacuation orders would be lifted by the end of the week. Hopefully that happens, followed shortly by crews stamping out the fire entirely.
The sight of a massive plume billowing from beyond Summit Park and air tankers overhead has been disquieting to say the least, the realization of a frightening scenario fire officials have been concerned about for years. While the uneasy times are not yet over, particularly for those whose homes are threatened, the response to this crisis — from both firefighters and the community — has been remarkable.
It’s made a harrowing situation better and allowed slivers of optimism to shine through the clouds of smoke.